FARMINGTON - City officials in Farmington are continuing a quest to “make sure Farmington demands are met” when it comes to a proposed alignment for the West Davis Corridor.

City Manager David Millheim said officials are still “very unsatisfied about the conservation easement” issue, where open space could fall into a highway development area.

“We didn’t make those purchases for a highway. It’s a quality of life issue, something we think really matters,” he said.

Attorneys Ray Quinney & Nebeker sent a letter from city officials earlier this month entitled, “Farmington City’s Request to Reissue or Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the West Davis Corridor.”

The city said the existing EIS document “contains so many fundamental legal flaws, data collection errors and omissions that it fails to provide the requisite analysis required by operative law.”

The “most basic” problem cited was a failure for the FHWA to demonstrate a “need for the West Davis Corridor by 2040 with respect to I-15 within the limited study area.”

The only exception is an area near Kaysville and another near Sunset, the letter said.

“Improvement to certain east/west roads north of Farmington may be needed, but widening of those roads is a logical solution rather than constructing a new multi-lane, high speed, limited access highway next to the Great Salt Lake,” the letter continued.

“We don’t think conservation easements should be used as an easy out for the state,” said Millheim. “We are trying to make sure the rules are followed. The draft EIS data shows they’re putting it in the wrong spot.”

He said the mayor and city council are “not afraid to do the right thing. We’ll go into a wait and see mode,” he said.

“We all need roads. It’s not a popularity contest. Frankly, I think there are solutions that work. It’s too easy for UDOT to want to put a highway in,” the city manager said.

“We’re not trying to hide anything. We’re disappointed,” Millheim said. “We still have faith, believe words matter. The council is 100 percent united to do the right thing.”

“We’re aware of Farmington’s concerns and are committed to working with them through this process,” said John Gleason, a spokesman with the Utah Department of Transportation.

“Our review of these properties and the proposed alignments is still underway. We are working to address community concerns and other elements as part of our ongoing review and anticipate a final decision in the coming months, said Doug Hecox, FHWA spokesman.

Isn't it interesting how Farmington City was all over the Legacy Highway when it met their self-serving interests of promoting Station Park? Now that it's going away from that area (which is right next to I-15 so I don't know what they're upset about) they're using "conservation" as their reason for blocking the highway. Maybe they should have thought of conservation when they allowed all of those homes to be built in an area where they had numerous discussions with UDOT for years about a potential roadway.